


A King's Lament

by satyrgod



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Other, Platonic Relationships, of sorts. for the both of them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-07-25 08:33:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7525747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/satyrgod/pseuds/satyrgod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Izumi wishes he wasn't the one dealing with this right now. Though, even if he'd never admit it out loud, he's glad the king only comes to him for his worries. He knows Leo wouldn't let this side show in front of just anyone. Why him, he’ll never understand, but he guesses he can appreciate it nonetheless.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A King's Lament

**Author's Note:**

> im hopping on the bandwagon of lionheart cuz it destrooooyed me. this is completely platonic but feel free to read it as romantic if you feel like. im so glad we got more leo content, i always wanted to see this side of him explored more... i also used to dislike izumi so much before i read it, but it really improved my view of him, lol.  
> this was beta-ed by the wonderful kye who i appreciate endlessly, thank yoooouuuuuu

"Sena," Leo said suddenly, cutting through the silence of the practice room. "Do you resent me for leaving?"

Izumi just looks at him, bewildered. There was no build up to that, they haven't even been speaking. Honestly, he was just heading out to leave. Practice had recently ended, though it isn't out of place for Leo to linger. God knows what that guy's doing with his time.

Izumi opens his mouth to say something rude, but ultimately decides against it when he sees that Leo isn't being his usual whimsical self. He looks a bit melancholy. How annoying, making him deal with something like this.

"...No one resents you, moron. Are you seriously worried? I don't know why you're coming to me for comfort, y'know. If you want someone to make you feel better about yourself, go to Naru-kun." He throws his bag over his shoulder, intending to leave after saying this, when Leo starts talking again.

"Why did you wait for me?" He asks, and Izumi turns around, about to ask him what the hell he means. "You should have just taken over completely, Sena. I don't know why you kept waiting for me to come back."

Izumi wishes he wasn't the one dealing with this right now. Though, even if he'd never admit it out loud, he's glad the king only comes to him for his worries. He knows Leo wouldn't let this side show in front of just anyone. Why him, he’ll never understand, but he guesses he can appreciate it nonetheless.

"You're the king, don't you get that?" Izumi sighs, putting his bag on the floor, figuring he'd be trapped there for awhile. "I can't just take over for you. Only one person can rule knights right now, and that's you. Get it? I can be a stand in, but I can't run this whole thing. Seriously, do you know how annoying it is to have to do someone else's job?"

"I can't rule anymore, Sena," Leo says bitterly, flopping down on the ground and laying there, outstretched. "I'm not fit anymore to be a king, right? Someone who could be defeated so easily-- when they were the one confident enough to extend the challenge!! They should probably just disappear, right? No one wants to see someone like that again, right?"

Izumi thought maybe Leo would stop the nonstop talking if he’s seriously upset, but naturally, Leo continued to talk his ear off. Did he expect him to be able to get a word in at this rate?

"King," Izumi starts, before suddenly correcting himself. "Leo. That was a year ago. You need to let this go. Are you really still bothered by it?" Izumi shifts, hating that he has no idea what to say, before sitting on the floor himself, next to Leo. "No one blames you, y'know. We all thought Tenshouin was nothing. And I mean, you're still doing better than Itsuki, right? None of us left you."

"I don't care about what happened to Valkyrie," Leo says flatly, eyes never moving from the ceiling above him. "It wouldn't have even happened if I could've won that time, Sena. We all said that Tenshouin was just gonna wash up, you know? We said he'd be nothing, remember?" Izumi does remember. They should never have underestimated him. "I can't get over it. It would have been better if you all did leave me. Sena, you should have just forgotten about me, Suou shouldn't even know my name." He lets out a bitter sigh, bringing up a hand to run it through his bangs. "I don't get why you clung to me so hard. You know it'll never be the same, don't you?"

Of course Izumi knew, but the words felt like a punch to the gut anyway. Which honestly surprises him, considering he convinced himself he was fine with how things are gonna be now a long time ago.  
But he guesses he'll never be fine with it. He hates seeing Leo feel like this. He hates that there's nothing he can do even more.

"...Of course I do. I'm not an idiot, y'know. That's _your_ thing." Izumi pauses, not sure how to word this next part. “...As it is now, you’re the only one that can be king. You know that, I know you do. No matter how much you run away, you still feel responsible for us, don’t you?” No response. “...You’ll always be the king to me. No one else is fit. I don’t care what happens when we leave, but you’re the only person I’ll ever answer to.”

“Sena…” Leo says, gaze sliding over to Izumi at last. Izumi nearly flinches at the intensity of it. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw Leo this serious. “You’re such an idiot.”

Having his words thrown back at him like that pisses him off like no other. Leo leaves him with no time to retort, though.

“I don’t get you, Sena, I really don’t!” He sits up, suddenly, and again took his gaze off of Izumi, instead focusing on the wall opposite them. “Seriously, why would you wanna keep following me? All I’ve done since day one is cause you trouble. You’re always calling other people idiots and stuff, but I think you might be the biggest idiot of all, putting up with someone like that.”

Izumi hates that Leo has to insult himself while also insulting him, he has no idea which to respond to first, and it is _infuriating_.

“First of all, just shut the fuck up, because everything you are saying is wrong.” Izumi lets out a long, harsh sigh, getting Leo to look back at him. “I’m gonna ignore that you called me an idiot so many times, because I’m feeling _nice_ today. Otherwise, what are you even talking about, causing me trouble from day one? Do you even know where I’d be right now if it weren’t for you?” A blank stare in response. “...I wouldn’t even be here, stupid. I never would’ve done any of this idol… bullshit. And do you wanna know something, Leo? I love this. I love being an idol. More than I ever loved modelling. Do you understand that? You’re the one who brought me here. Don’t just denounce your responsibility like that, you’re seriously pissing me off.”

Leo laughs. Loud and boisterous, as if Izumi just said the funniest thing in the world, and didn’t just express his actual feelings to him.

He doubles over, and stays like that, even when he’s done laughing.

“...Sena, you reeeally are stupid. I love that about you, you know! Just like I love everything else about you, even when you’re treating me like _I’m_ the real idiot here.” He leans onto Izumi’s shoulder suddenly, and Izumi stiffens. He doesn’t push Leo away, knowing Leo hates being touched even more than he does. Plus, despite the king’s cheerful tone, he can feel him trembling.

“...Thanks. For saying all that, I mean. Even though I think you would’ve realized it on your own eventually, so I don’t wanna take all the credit.” He heaves a sigh, relaxing himself entirely against Izumi, who finds himself becoming less and less tense by the minute as well. “Sena, you’re saying all this stuff about me being the only king, and you’re just worrying me more, y’know. Is knights even gonna be ok when we leave? Was it even ok when I was--”

“Gone? No, no it wasn’t. God, we were hopeless without you. I mean, we got on, eventually, but it took awhile, y’know. A lot of mistakes happened, that wouldn’t have ever even been made if you were here. Do you know how hard we had to work to get our reputation up to where it was before you left us? You’re lucky you came after all that.” After berating him for a few minutes, Izumi’s tone softens considerably. “...I really don’t know what’s gonna happen when we leave. God knows Kuma-kun isn’t gonna wanna lead, you know he feels the same way I do, right? And I just worry about leaving everything up to Naru-kun. Our little Kasa-kun’s become a lot more mature though. He can probably keep those two in line.”

“Suou..?” Leo says, questioningly. Izumi isn’t sure if Leo is honestly considering it or just mocking him for considering the kid could do anything. “...He’s still got a lot of growing up to do. But I think you could be right. He’s got potential, if you’d all stop spoiling him.” Izumi doesn’t bother to respond that it’s not him who spoils Tsukasa, seeing as Leo did seem a bit more reassured by the fact that their unit would be in competent hands.

They settle into a comfortable silence after that. Leo has long since stopped shaking, and they just sit and lean against each other for a little while. Leo stands up, eventually, stretching and cracking his bones. Wordlessly, he walks over to the door, and Izumi just watches him.

“Hey, Izumi?” Izumi’s eyes widen at the sudden first name basis from Leo, but he doesn’t comment on it. “Thanks again, seriously. You deal with a lot more than you should.” Whether Leo’s just talking about the problems he himself causes Izumi, or if he’s worried about Izumi in general, he’ll never know. He doesn’t even give Izumi a chance to respond, and immediately moves onto something else, probably tired of feeling so vulnerable. “Hey, don’t you think you should head home? It’s getting late, you know! Isn’t your family gonna worry about you?”

Izumi rolls his eyes, getting up and retrieving his bag from the floor, and decides to go along with what Leo wants and ignoring the first half of what he said.

“Shut up, as if you of all people should be lecturing me about my family. Are you even going to head home yourself?”

“If I can find my way there!” is the ambiguous reply, accompanied by a wink and Leo running off.

Izumi knows he probably won’t see him for a few weeks after this. He’s fine with that, he guesses. This is about the closest thing one can have to closure when it comes to Leo Tsukinaga.

He hopes Leo is at least gonna go home, even for just a little while.

Deciding he should probably be heading out himself, he walks out the door Leo had recently left from, and starts walking home.


End file.
